Polymeric materials are routinely to deliver active agents, such as emollients, fragrances, sunscreens, insect repellants, antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, drug compounds, etc. For example, fabrics have been developed in which the active agent is impregnated within the interstices of the fibers. The delivery mechanism for such fabrics is generally through the addition of a liquid or by applying pressure. To help control the rate of delivery, the active agents are often encapsulated. For instance, the active agent can be encapsulated within a pocket or sandwiched between multiple layers of the material. While providing some degree of control, such “macro-encapsulation” techniques are generally not capable of sustaining a controlled release profile over an extended period of time. In response to these difficulties, “micro-encapsulation” techniques have also been employed in which the active agent is suspended within the core of a coating material. U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,891 to Amundson, et al., for instance, describes one such microencapsulation system for a dry wipe. Unfortunately, one of the common problems with micro-encapsulation systems is that they generally require the use of complex and costly processing steps (e.g., crosslinking, emulsification, etc.). Another problem is that they often require the use of liquids, solvents or other diluents, which limits their applicability when active release on demand is required.
As such, a need currently exists for an improved delivery system that is capable of controllably releasing an active agent.